


Father and Son

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7951873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas teaches Justin how to use his magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Father and Son

The Demascus mine was always pretty empty. Perfect for kissing or being alone. Or learning how to use unexpected magic. Conrad, as a member of the Keepers, had also warded the place against magical damage or interference. So one could do pretty much anything magical without harming the environment. In the days of old, Soul Riders had done some training there. Thomas Moorland himself had used the place to vent his frustration or otherwise try to control the magic in his veins.

Now, it was time for Thomas to pass on what he knew. Justin had come to him after being rescued, and Thomas had seen the magic in him. Sensed it, too.

"Dad, why didn't you tell me that I had magic?" Justin had asked. Thomas had sighed. He'd hoped that the magic block would've held.

"Come with me," Thomas had said, taking off his gloves as he'd walked out of the stables. He hadn't missed the fact that Justin flinched at that. What had they done to the boy?

Justin looked confused when he walked into the mine.

"Dad, why are we here?" He looked around, shivering and rubbing his arms.

"I brought you here to teach you how to control your magic," said Thomas. "And how to use it, if you so wish. But if you don't want me to teach you, you can go to the druids."

"But you don't have magic," said Justin. "I'd know if you did, but I've never seen you use it."

In response, Thomas lit his palm with a glowing ball of white light.

"My father, who you now know is the General Mr Sands, passed his magic on to me and my brother," said Thomas, looking at the light. "I don't know how Aaron manages in the city. Maybe there's a place there where he can go to train. Because magic must be maintained, or it will consume the host. That is how monsters are made."

"But isn't it dark magic?" asked Justin. "Mr Sands uses the darkness, so do the other Dark Riders and their friends."

"Magic itself is neither inherently light or dark," said Thomas. "It is up to the wielder. I choose to use my magic for good. Well, for neutral, really. And because I only train enough to maintain it, I am not particularly gifted in magic. I only know the crudest spells and a few useful ones, like healing for dire injuries."

"But then if you can heal injuries, how did mum-"

"Like I said, magic must be maintained. I didn't maintain it before, and your mother paid the price. I could not save her. That is not a mistake that I wish to repeat. I've increased my training since you went away."

There was silence. Justin looked down at his hands. After his magic had burst out of him like that, he hadn't felt it as strongly. But if he concentrated, he could feel it running through his veins. It was a part of him now, as much as his flesh and blood and breath.

"Who trained you?" asked Justin, finally looking up.

"A druid," said Thomas. "I asked him for help and he gave it to me."

"How will it be different if a druid trains me?" asked Justin.

"A druid will make you a druid too," said Thomas. "Whereas I will train you enough to be able to maintain it. So you have a choice to make, my son: will you become a druid or continue with our plan and family tradition and take over Moorland Stables when Aideen finally welcomes me into her embrace?"

"But the druids didn't make you into a druid," said Justin. "Why wouldn't it be the same for me?"

"You have your grandmother to thank for that," said Thomas with a smile. "She absolutely forbade them from turning me into a druid. She only let them give us the most basic magic instruction when we were younger." Justin laughed gently at that. He knew exactly how the Baroness could be when she was set on something.

"I still want to take over Moorland Stables one day," said Justin. "I know that the druids need more fighters but it's just you, Jenna, May and the useless Bobcats here. You need me more than anyone else does." Thomas smiled at that. He was relieved, too. Of course, he'd expected Justin to choose him, but there was one tiny part of him that had doubted...

"Thank you, son," said Thomas. "That means so much to me. I am also so glad that you don't resent me for binding your powers."

"Of course I don't resent you for that, dad," said Justin. "It would've been better if my magic had never emerged. I just want to be normal." It didn't help that his grandfather had now made him associate magic with pain and evil.

"That's all I ever wanted for you, son," said Thomas. The two embraced, glad to be together in this time of such hardship and danger. Reunited, and finally completely honest with each other.

And then they trained, simple spells at first to test Justin's abilities. They would build up to the more difficult spells as time progressed, but it would never be their main goal. The main goal was just to bond over magic, and the family legacy that stood not far from that abandoned mine.

If nothing else, Moorland Stables would have a strong protector when Justin finally took over.


End file.
